Bird's Eye: Washington, DC

Isn't this an incredible image? We looked out the window on a stop over in Atlanta and spotted the US capitol. I marked some of the sites to make it a bit easier to identify what you're seeing.

Shop House Southeast Asian Kitchen

If you live in the US, or Washington DC in particular, it looks like there will be a new restaurant worth trying - the Shop House Southeast Asian Kitchen. It's the creation of those that brought the world Chipotle, which we are still patiently waiting for here in Munich. Don't forget to send them an email!

The types of food will take influence from Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian countries. I can hardly wait!

If only Washington DC was on our travel route this summer. Friends + family in DC, let us know what you think and hopefully we'll get to visit you soon.

Inauguration

Thoughts...

I appreciate how Americans come together, despite differences, in an event like this. Millions of people gathered to watch the event. In Germany, we don't even have the chancellor's inauguration on TV. This is the support and excitement that I really love.

Wouldn't you love to know the conversation between Obama and his wife at the end of the festivities once they go to their new home, the White House. When they are completely alone and brushing their teeth before bed what do they look into the mirror and think?

What was he thinking when he woke up this morning? Was he more concerned about potentially having to give up his blackberry or was he more concerned about pressing issues that the average American has no idea is even going on.

Seeing the humanness of the Obama Family and how he stumbled a little during his oath makes him seem like such a real person.

What does he think when he receives his briefcase with all of his bomb codes?

I really liked the speech from Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery. His humorous ending "when Black doesn't have to get back; when Brown can stick around: when Yellow can be mellow; when Red can get ahead; and White can embrace what's right" really breaks things down. If only people could follow some of the words of wisdom, like 'be judged by what you build, and not what you destroy!'

Munich may have a visit from Obama for the NATO meeting next month. I can only imagine what chaos it could be.

New Day in America

This morning I headed to my German class with a red cardigan and a blue and white scarf for some understated American spirit. It's incredibly difficult living far away today. Not because I feel some dire urge to be standing on the Washington Mall with few toilets available (according to the news, if 2 million arrive, there is one porto potty for every 400 people). There are also freezing cold temperatures, and a very minimal view of anything other than the back of people's heads for hours on end. It's difficult because I truly miss the camaraderie. I'm certain I would be watching the events on TV, just as I will be today, but it doesn't make up for the American spirit that I dearly miss.

German spirit, and more specifically Bavarian pride, come in very different forms. There is the constant deferral of patriotism for reasons stemming from the dark past. If you spend enough time here you will soon see the pride is still alive and well. Some may even say it has ethnocentric tendencies, especially the foreigners who are constantly being reminded that they even though the law welcomes them, they will more than likely remain oppressed for several generations.

Something I truly love about America, 'the country that always lands on its feet', is that despite being a mix of cultures, nationalities, and races, there are some days and events where people unite. I realize it's not always been that way. Progress does take time, but it's nice to see that it happens.

I also realize not everyone is an Obama supporter, but to me the Americanness is something beyond him or his capabilities. I appreciate that he's a bit of a rabble-rouser and able to inspire so many, because I think Americans can be fairly passive when it comes to politics. It's also possible that it only appears that way considering how much coverage he had and how much money was invested into his campaign, but people definitely look for a positive change.

I'd rather see it as a fire lit from within and hopefully people see that they can make an impact and they are capable of more than they ever thought possible. There's a hope for something different and more freedoms for the people that make the US such a unique and special place.

I'm back in German class and it always shakes me to my core, but not because the grammar is brutal or because every noun has an assigned article. I think I learn more and question more about the social issues and struggles facing people from various cultures, nationalities, and races while I am there. I am constantly analyzing the place of a foreigner in the German world, obviously because that is something I identify with.

That is one aspect that my slightly sheltered American upbringing that I've really been able to come to terms with. Each day while I sit among classmates from places like Iran, Syria, Bulgaria, Australia, Spain, the UK, Kosovo, Brazil, Turkey, Russia, and a multitude of other cultures, I realize how fortunate I am. I am not fighting to survive. Life has been relatively easy and I know that I have two perfectly good homes. There isn't anything I am fleeing.

I realize just how blessed I am due to forces of fate, to feel safe, to have the support of my family, to receive a wonderful education and to have the ability to graduate from a university that focused on service work. It makes me feel very responsible for helping those that aren't afforded the privileges that I have.

Something Germany is severely lacking, is the inclusion of the foreigners. It's a much colder place than what I am familiar with. Here I notice so many politically incorrect things that make me cringe and an overall critical attitude towards each other. I attribute that to the fight to get ahead, or the feeling that they are being taken advantage of due to their liberal social systems. I realize in the US I have a slight bias. My social and economic circle doesn't often cross with people who don't come from similar means, which is one of the reasons I am forever grateful for this experience.

Life here can be so bureaucratic that even volunteering or being compassionate towards others isn't easy, which is difficult. Somedays I feel like I am fighting to belong and yearning for community and connections that are thousands of miles away. Here that is entirely a foreign concept. Since they had such far right leanings during the early part of the 20th century, at times I think they have tried to make amends by opening their borders even if they are resentful. I'm sure they get even more angered by the fact that Germans are not repopulating their country and fewer and fewer people are having children.

So... if you got this far, I'm hopeful that it is a year of change. Not simply for a change in politics, but a change in people realizing how much we can learn from each other and that a little compassion goes a long way.

As said in the Declaration of Independence 233 years ago:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." 

origami cranes

When we travel, we often pick up an ornament, if we can find one. I was so happy to see a unique store front in Georgetown that had tons of beautiful paper cranes and I was even more delighted to later find ceramic ornaments fashioned after them.

In Japan, cranes represent long life, prosperity and good health, so they are fitting for the new year or to keep up year round.

The New Year has been really good to us. Recently everything seems to fall into place, and I just want to sit and take in all of my happiness.

I just celebrated my birthday and I can already tell that it's going to be a fantastic year. I also realize just how much I'm loved and the lengths that people go to make me happy. It truly makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world to have so many caring people in my life. I need to let people know I appreciate them more frequently, which is my challenge to myself for 2009.

It's nice to be content where I am and to have such wonderful people all around me. Tomorrow that will come to a tear filled halt, when I am forced to say goodbye to everyone. It's not exactly goodbye, but more of an 'until next time, whenever that shall be'. And, on the bright side, it will give me something nice to look forward to when we are able to see each other again.

2009 will be a year of change, not because of the Obama mantra, but because there are plenty of surprises in store for us. Some of the surprises are under our control, while I'm sure others aren't, but I'm looking forward to seeing how things unfold.

I'm enjoying my final days in the US and I have many updates in the coming days. I hope everyone is enjoying 2009 as much as we are!

Washington, DC

Visiting family is something I never can get enough of. We were lucky enough to visit some of my family in the DC area and it always surprises me how quickly my cousins are growing, it's the harsh reality that time doesn't freeze while I'm away. It can be so difficult to feel like I am missing out on so many things at home.

Our first stop was to the National Air and Space Museum at the Udvar-Hazy Center, and the IMAX theatre. I was most amazed by the Enola Gay (plane to drop the first Atom bomb), Concorde (retired passenger plane that broke the sound barrier), and the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (reconnaissance plane).

We managed to squeeze a bit of time in to head into the city and observe the Obama inauguration preparations. Our first stop was the Capitol building, which I forgot was so grandiose and majestic.

I always have to remind myself that the Greek buildings these are fashioned after weren't white, but very colorful in their day. I can't fathom a multicolored Capitol building or White House.

The city was filled with bleachers and construction as everyone was gearing up for the big event on January 20th. The tickets to go up the Washington monument were sold out for the day by the time we arrived, but we still enjoyed the sights as much as possible.

It had been such a long time since I visited Washington and this was my first visit to the National Museum of the American Indian. The building is so striking with the undulating lines and the Kasota limestone façade is aptly fitting.

A lot of the architecture in the capital is really beautiful. The row homes, especially in the Georgetown area, make me wish more of the country had architecture like that. I think the close living and open parks give more interaction, consideration, and compassion for neighbors.

My aunt and uncle did all they could to give us the things we don't have in Germany. We went out for Mexican, chicken wings, and they surprised me with an ice cream cake for my birthday. Again, the best part was having time with them.

My family has a history of sharing birthdays and I'm not alone. My cousin, Caitlin, was born the exact day and time that I was, only 18 years later. This year we were able to celebrate our birthday together, which was really fun.

I miss everyone so much and hope it's not so long before I see them again!

Traveling Home

After leaving Munich at 9am on Tuesday the 23rd, we finally arrived in Ohio at 7:30pm on the 24th. We were the unfortunate people that waited at the airport for hours and hope not to get stranded. We boarded our plane twice, deplaned twice, and finally got stranded at Dulles airport when our flight was cancelled.

Our options quickly dwindled when we learned that all of the standby flights were booked and the waitlists were 15 people deep. We were offered one flight to Cleveland on the 24th and every flight in the midwest was booked full until Christmas day, which was referred to as 'Thursday'. As opposed to wasting more time, we went to stay with my aunt and uncle in Northern Virginia after 7 hours of waiting. We were told we could pick up our bags on the carousel at the baggage claim, however once we arrived we were told it could take up to 3 hours! This is not happy news for two jet lagged people traveling internationally.

Getting home in time for Christmas meant spending $300 on a rental car and a 7 hour drive on Christmas Eve (German Christmas). We listened to way too many variations of the same songs as we drove through about 6 hours of serious down pour.

The end of the drive was beautiful. I had fun playing with the lights on the highway and once the fog and rain lifted the sunset made the clouds appear black. It was so interesting. When it was all said and done we went from Munich to London to Washington DC and then drove through Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and finally Ohio.

The worst part is that we have to fly through Dulles 4 times during our trips! Here's to hoping the rest of our travel is less eventful.

Early surprises

The past few weeks have been really busy and trying for me and Stefan. It's been difficult to only have time together on the weekends, but we try to make the most of it. Fortunately that looks to be something that is going to taper down, especially with the holidays around the corner.

We will be heading to the US to celebrate Christmas with my family, which will be the first time for us to celebrate with them since I moved here. This will also be Stefan's first proper American Christmas.

The past few weeks I've been stocking up on German treats for everyone at home. I can't wait to enjoy a loud, children filled family gathering and having some of my Grandma's wonderful baklava.

There's also talk of my parents getting another puppy, so Stefan is keeping his fingers crossed for that. That would mean 8 muddy paws to clean, 2 baths to give, and a lot more work. Even so, we'd at least have fun playing in the snow with Mieka, the family dog.

During our visit we will also be making trips to New York City to visit friends and then make our way down to Washington DC to see more family. I'm looking forward to the calmness before Obama's inauguration.

Not only do we have that to look forward to, we even have some guaranteed time together in the coming year. I always keep an eye on affordable flights and today we booked two!

First, we'll be heading to Rome in late February. Can you believe I've never been to Rome? It's one of Stefan's favorite cities and I am sure we'll have a great time. The art historian in me is going to absolutely love it, especially since I won't have to fight through loads of tourists.

We're considering a stay at one of the convents, which offer rooms, but I know they also have plenty of design oriented hotels as well if we need a fall back.

For the second trip we will be heading to Cairo in March. I am simply in awe that I will be seeing the Giza pyramids for myself. We're also in luck, because my old roommate Kate used to live there, so I am certain she will have some fantastic tips.

I would definitely say 2009 is off to an amazing start.

(images: flickr - washington dc, rome, cairo)